While the New Year hasn’t arrived, Jackson’s 2012 homicide rate has already surpassed 2011’s.

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The year’s first homicide was on Jan. 6, when 34-year-old Charlie Sherrod was gunned down outside his home on Bishop Street.

The city’s latest murder happened on the same street nearly one year later. On Friday, police found the body of Anthony Tabor, 44, inside his home. Investigators said he was shot in the head.

Police have not arrested a suspect in Tabor’s death. Jackson has had 66 homicide victims so far in 2012, up from 54 in 2011. Police said all violent crimes are up in 2012, with rape and aggravated assault up 8 percent.

“Well, basically it’s the same reasons that we had in recent years,” said Jackson Police Assistant Chief Lee Vance. “That is, we have people in our city that get into conflicts and they can’t seem to find any other way to resolve those conflicts besides killing each other.”

Vance said there is no way for police to predict a violent crime. He said officers are not just fighting crime, they’re also fighting a culture of violence in the capital city.

“I know it’s discouraging,” he said. “It’s troubling, but basically it’s between people who have a beef and don’t seem to find another way to resolve it other than shooting each other.”

Jackson police said they have had success this year, solving almost 65 percent of the homicide cases.